Modern Green in Logan Square

Are we having fun yet?

2011-09-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

A Possible Comparable? 2008 Geothermal Home

2011-05-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you 2523 W. Belden... hopefully. You are the only geothermal home I could find that was sold within the last several years in Logan Square/Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood. 3780 Square Feet, 2495 above grade, 2 story house. Sold for $1.15 million dollars. The bank has accepted you as a "comparable" home. I don't know what exactly that means and I'm sure it'll make appropriate adjustments but I'm now somewhat hopeful that we can get our refinance loan.

I'm Disappointed with Appraisers

2011-05-27T09:14:00.001-07:00

"Typical?? Ugh. Not again."

That's what I thought when I saw the appraisal report for our home. This is now the second time a certified appraiser has concluded that our home's energy efficient items are "typical." What? Did you miss our geothermal heat pump? Our solar panels? Our triple pane windows? On demand hot water? I suppose you can't really see our ICF construction but come on.

We're now trying to refinance our home. We pay a ridiculous 7.5% interest on our loan, which at the time we got our new construction loan was the best we could do. We were lucky someone would even finance us. Yeah, times were that tough. Now, rates are somewhere in the low 5's, even with our "jumbo" status and we'd save at least $500 a month just on mortgage payments if we refinanced.

But Mr. Appraiser put the brakes on that, because he sees no value in going green. How could this be? Did you not see us on the cover of a magazine for godsakes??
(Ok, that doesn't have anything to do with this but I've always wanted to say that.)

But seriously--our home is more than twice as energy efficient as a well-built new construction home that is built to code. About three times as energy efficient as a typical brick Chicago bungalow. This means that on energy demanding months--of which there are a lot in Chicago--we will save hundreds of dollars on energy bills than the family next door with an identical house, but for the energy efficient features. This translates literally to thousands of dollars a year. Not to mention how all of these features translate to a quiet, healthy and comfortable house. To someone like me who's got terrible allergies, that's priceless. So none of this affects the value of a home?

Surely, this must be a mistake. So I e-mailed and wrote the lender a 5 page memo with supporting documents (including our Energy Star Rating) like only a lawyer on a mission can do, but the lender is standing by its appraisal. So disappointed.

A year absence

2011-05-26T22:51:00.001-07:00

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. But out of sight, out of mind.

Life's full of contradictions like that. I suppose blogging is a bit manic-depressive and bipolar in that way--you really feel like writing some days and some days you just want nothing to do with it. It's been almost a year since I last wrote here.

A lot's happened during that time. We had another child--a beautiful girl named Juliet. I also discovered that our home won an award! Check it out here. A few new restaurants have opened up in our neighborhood, and Logan Square is now a bona fide hipster gentrifying neighborhood. But some things have stayed remarkably the same. I still work where I work, although I work substantially less than I used to.
I also am realizing the gravity of having gone through building a new house. Having built our own house. Geez. I just didn't appreciate it when I was going through it. It was stressful... exciting... often on the brink of disaster... and overwhelming. Now I'm beginning to get more perspective.

One thing I realize now is how lucky we are. I've read that some people are "in love" with our home and would love to be able to build a home like this one of these days... People are saying that about our home? How surreal and amazing is that?

People still stop and stare at our house. Some people don't think it's a single family home. Some people have asked me why we chose to build this home in this neighborhood (meaning "up and coming" and not "established" neighborhood with poor schools, etc.). But some people just gush. And some question our choices and wisdom in what we did. There's all kinds.

I do sometimes wonder if it was worth it. I think so. I still need a few more years to get better perspective on that.

Road Warrior

2010-08-10T16:25:00.001-07:00

Another week, another city. Another hotel room. I miss my family. I miss home.

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Flowers Make Any Room Better

2010-08-03T09:45:00.001-07:00

Building an Army for a Revolution

2010-08-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

Revolution Brewing is now serving brunch. Perfect time to map out your army for a revolution.

Fly or Drive?

2010-08-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

I flew to Indianapolis this morning for business. I fly back to Chicago tonight. I contemplated driving (about 3 1/2 hours each way) but flying seemed quicker and easier. Would driving have been more environmentally friendly?

So Tired

2010-08-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

So tired. Baby is sleeping reasonably well but I'm just not getting good sleep. When does sleep trainig start? I went back to work today and felt like a zombie all day. Why do I have to work? Can I just win the lottery?

Proud Papa

2010-07-24T20:09:00.001-07:00

When you're the family photographer, you're rarely in the pictures. This is the only photo that made it out of Juliet's first day, just minutes after she was born. Mary snapped this rare photo with my iPhone.

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New Addition to the Family

2010-07-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

The plan for the day, July 23, 2010, was to "have baby."
And that, we did. Juliet Sejin Park came into this world at 12:27 pm, on July 23, 2010, weighing in at 6 pounds 12 ounces and 20 inches. Unlike her older brother Josh--who had to be forced out rather traumatically with forceps after 15 hours of labor and 4 hours of pushing--Juliet made her grand entrance after only 5 hours of labor and less than 1 hour of pushing.

Needless to say, I was in love.

Mary jokes that I really wanted a daddy's little girl, but it's Mary who really wanted to have a girl. I saw the emotions in her eyes when we found out this baby was going to be a girl. It was a deep biological longing, much like how some men really want to have a boy. This is Mary and Juliet just minutes after birth, the brightness of the delivery lights still shadowing them.With Juliet resting comfortably, we, of course, had to celebrate. I'm not even sure if we're allowed to have alcohol in the hospital, but we didn't care. If there ever was occasion for champagne, this was it.Juliet and Mary are resting comfortably now. Mary told me just now, "She makes me forget about the last 9 months!" Isn't that so true.

Healthy House, Healthy Body?

2010-07-22T20:30:00.001-07:00

My house is green. My body, on the other hand, is the opposite. I actually went to the gym once this year. Once. I bought running shoes... Never used it.

But today, I had a noodle salad and juice from Jamba Juice for lunch. As if that's going to undo all the fast food, coffee, booze, late nights at work, and pizza breakfasts. It did make me feel better today though. It's a start!

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Extend the Life of Your Growler

2010-07-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Step 1. Buy your favorite beer in a growler from your local brewer.

Step 2. Gather your things. You'll need caps, a capper, empty bottles (here, cleaned Red Stripe bottles), and a pourer. I'm using a measuring cup but a funnel would probably work too.

Step 3. Pour beer into bottle. Use capper to cap your beer. Tip: Colder the beer, the less head or foam you're going to get.

Step 4. Put the bottles into your fridge. Enjoy your beer at your convenience.

Two More Days

2010-07-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

Hot but beautiful day on the back deck today. Josh has no idea what's going to happen to him in two days!! Baby sister will be here. How is he going to react??

I'm Such an Ass

2010-07-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

Ugh. Do I feel stupid. Ever do or say something that makes you feel really bad in hindsight? It makes you feel like you've lost perspective... like you've become a version of yourself that you used to make fun of. I've unintentionally--but probably predictably in hindsight--made someone feel terrible about their life. And for that, I now feel terrible. Ugh.

No Longer a "Young Professional"

2010-07-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

OMG, when did this happen?? I'm no longer a "young professional." I just got a letter invitation to a golf outing for lawyers and it says "young professionals" are "35 years of age and under." Come to think of it, I've seen this age cutoff before. WOW, at 36, am I officially middle aged? Crap. crap. crap. MIDLIFE CRISIS.

Cafe Mustache

2010-07-21T08:04:00.001-07:00

I'm at work enjoying my cup of coffee I picked up at cafe mustache this morning. Mmm. Great coffee!! Welcome to the neighborhood, officially. I can't wait to play hooky and work from there on their free wifi.

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Revolution Brewing Trademark

2010-07-20T20:46:00.001-07:00

Hey, look what showed up in the mail today. The official United States Trademark for Revolution Brewing. Perfect excuse for me to have to pay them a visit. Life is hard.

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How Quickly We Forget

2010-07-20T19:03:00.001-07:00

Today, I put together the co-sleeper we used with Josh and I thought the memories of sleepless nights would come flooding back. Nope. Already forgot all about it. Ready for more punishment. This is nature's way of ensuring survival. Bad memory of miserableness.

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Keeping It Going

2010-07-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

We've now finished building our house and are just living our day to day lives. I've contemplated just stopping this blog and letting it be. What else is there to write about? Life, I guess.

Recently, I lost a cousin my age--just really hitting his stride in life--to a tragic accident. To say that Daniel Cho was a talented musician is an understatement--this is him on the cello with Regina Spektor.

If his life has taught me anything, it's that life is too short not to live every minute of it. You need to share it. You need to love it. You need to embrace it.

Dan was a gifted writer, a soccer enthusiast, a Guiness-lover, a talented composer, an amazing musician, a doting father, and a loving husband. If anything, he's taught me that it's these little moments that I need to enjoy--the lazy weekend mornings with the family, pizza dinners at the local restaurant, and warm summer days at the pool--and it's these things that I'll long to remember when I'm too old to remember. So here goes.... at least for now.

Transformers 3

2010-07-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

I was reading some legal briefs at work today when I suddenly heard a loud "boom" sound and what sounded like repeated machine gun fire. For a split second, my heart sank and I thought, "This cannot be what I'm fearing it could be!!"

Then a split second later, I remembered that Transformers 3 is filming in Chicago right now. I looked out my window and there it was. Wacker drive, destroyed by the evil Decepticons!! Curse you, evil robots.

Neighborhood @ Night

2010-07-19T09:32:00.001-07:00

I took this photo from the California Blue Line stop on my iPhone late last Friday night (7/16/10) as I was coming home from O'Hare. Not exactly a high quality picture, but I took it because I was pleasantly surprised to see so much foot traffic here at 11:00 pm at night. It represented such a contrast from last year, when we moved into the neighborhood.

With the Boiler Room, the Logan Bar, Revolution Brewing and Cole's all opening within the last year or so within blocks of each other, there's definitely a different feel to the neighborhood. I like it.

Selling Our Roscoe Village Condo

2010-07-05T23:12:00.001-07:00

At last. We're putting our condo in Roscoe Village on the market.

It's a great place and we'll miss it when it's gone.

It was Mary and my first home. It's where we lived when we got married. It's where we were living when Josh was born. It's where he learned to take his first steps.

It's also where we had countless number of parties, nights out, and fond memories as couple of carefree, kid-free people.

Not that I'm complaining. It's just that we've moved onto the next phase of our lives. We still go out. We still have fun. But it's changed a little.
I guess it's symbolic that we're now putting up the condo for sale as well.

Baby's Room

2010-06-28T11:44:00.001-07:00

With the baby less than a month away, Mary is in serious nesting mode. Our baby's room's all nice and ready. I had nothing to with this except to hang up a shelf.

I'm also in daddy mode, but a little differently. I've been trying to work as hard as I can so I can have a little time off when the baby gets here. My HR director was stunned when I asked her about paternity leaves. Apparently, law firm partners don't take those....

O'Hare Airport

2010-06-17T23:09:00.001-07:00

O'Hare is about to get some good beer. Saw this little happy sign last week coming back from a business trip.

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Skokie Pool

2010-06-17T23:06:00.001-07:00

Kids love pools and water parks. Skokie has an awesome pool and water playground. I wish Chicago had some better public pools.

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SF fog

2010-06-17T23:03:00.001-07:00

On my way to our SF office at 7:00 am:

View from our SF office at 7:30 am:

Same view at 9:00 am:

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Hotel Palomar DC

2010-06-17T22:59:00.001-07:00

Was in DC for business last week and stayed at the Hotel Palomar near Dupont Circle. Great little hotel that also just opened up in Chicago. Yeah, it's funky like that. Leopard print robes!

Festivals!

2010-06-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

I love summers in Chicago! We hit 3 festivals in less than 24 hours last weekend: Ribfest, Printers Row Lit Fest, and Metronome Festival. Here's probably the highlight of Josh's weekend at Justin Roberts concert at Printers Row Lit Fest:

Oh yeah, the Metronome Festival in our neighborhood was really fun too. Here's Josh with his friend, Tobin, on our front stairs waiting for me to come out. (Photos courtesy of Tobin's mom, Bethany.)

And here's an action shot at the bouncy castle in the kids' area there. It was free and was so much fun for Josh!

He even got a fake baseball tatoo and got his face painted with a bowling pin. Josh's obsessed with bowling for some reason. Of course, Josh's uncle Joe had to show him how to flex his muscles while aunt Wendy just looks on incredulously.

Boiler Room

2010-06-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

It looks like our newest neighborhood bar Boiler Room will have some solar panels on the roof. Cool.

Still don't see much change at the neighbor Masada (left).

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Lake Delavan for the weekend

2010-06-07T05:25:00.000-07:00

Not my boat but it's nice to know someone with a boat!!

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Busy Weekend

2010-06-02T20:56:00.001-07:00

Wow, busy weekend!

First, our official BBQ of the season.

Mmm, ribs.

Second, my musician cousin Dan (who is touring with Regina Spektor), his wife Julia, and daughter Audrey visited us. Here's Josh with his cousin Audrey on our way back from breakfast. So cute.

Third, a BBQ at my contractor Cian's house. Josh and Cian's son are BFF's.

Mmm, popsicles.

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Driving in the City

2010-05-28T08:39:00.001-07:00

The other day, I just happened to look at my dashboard while at a stop light and saw this oddity.
The odometer read 55,555!

This got me thinking. The EPA estimates that a typical passenger car is driven 12,000 miles per year.

I've had my car for almost exactly 9 years, so that's just less than 6,200 miles per year or about 17 miles a day. I'm decidedly under the average but that still seems like a lot.

I wonder how many miles a typical car in Chicago gets driven a year??

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Camping in Rock Cut state park

2010-05-23T05:45:00.001-07:00

I'm convinced that a person sometimes just needs to get back to nature away from the man-made environment.

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Road Trip/Camping

2010-05-22T09:24:00.001-07:00

My friends convinced me to go camping for a night at Rock Cut state park near Rockford this weekend. A chance to bond with nature? Sure. I miss that living in the city. But first, a very important stop at Granite City Brewery in Rockford, Illinois to test drive their brews.

Next stop, a quick detour to Wisconsin to stock up on some Spotted Cow. It's the greatest beer that's not sold outside Wisconsin. Oh, the injustice.

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Farm Burger

2010-05-20T12:40:00.001-07:00

I have got to stop playing hooky to eat at Revolution Brewing during the day!!

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Jessica and Josh

2010-05-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

My neighbor Matt had a BBQ on Saturday so my friend Sung and I stopped by with our kids. So happy to see Josh get along with Jessica! He's practicing being a good older brother for when he has a sister who's due to arrive in July.

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Cafe Mustache

2010-05-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

Josh and I were walking to Revolution Brewing (2323 N. Milwaukee) for dinner last night and saw these signs at 2313 N. Milwaukee Ave. Welcome to the neighborhood, Cafe Mustache! I shall visit you often. Will you have free WIFI, please?

Online Shopping!

2010-05-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

If you’re thinking about updating your house (or, like us, building a house), let me tell you this: it’s a PAIN shopping for finishes. You fight traffic, deal with crowds, and go from store to store only to see some limited selection of stuff that may or may not fit within your budget or allowance. It’s a terribly inefficient way to do things.

My advice? Go online. You can narrow your choices quickly just by doing some online research. Online sites are so sophisticated these days that you can see multiple pictures of the product, get exact dimensions, and see other user reviews. You can also save a lot of money by ordering online, because it's easier to comparison shop. You also skip on sales taxes (depending on where you are) and some road rage in the process.

We’ve ordered everything from light fixtures, faucets, appliances, to door handles (like our front door handle that's pictured here) all online. I think it’s what saved our marriage from certain doom during the stresses of construction!

I don’t write for money or get paid in any way from this blog, but when a representative from CSN Stores recently contacted me with an offer of a $60 gift card if I wrote about my personal experiences there, I said heck yeah. I actually ordered a majority of our light fixtures from CSN Lighting and had a really good experience with them! (She told me CSN runs over 200--yes, two hundred--online stores that sell anything and everything from tv stands, faucets, to light fixtures and more.)

For example, we got this lovely George Kovacs light fixture in our powder room from CSN Lighting and wrote about it here.

I understand that online shopping isn't for everyone. We, for example, just couldn't bring ourselves to order tile online. But even if you don’t order something online, I found it helpful just to get an idea of what we like or don't like before going to a physical store. That can sometimes be the difference between walking away with a purchase or with a perplexed/frustrated/overwhelmed feeling.

Sunshine Room

2010-05-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

Most inspiring space in our home and I have no idea what to do with it. It's our roof access (aka penthouse)--38 feet up, surrounded by windows, and has a view of our green roof and the Chicago skyline.

Maybe I'll start painting again.

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Green Roof Update

2010-05-13T09:50:00.001-07:00

Recent storms have dumped a ton of rain our way. Although not great in general, it's done wonders for our green roof. This was our roof just a couple of months ago.

This is what it looked like this morning.

Really pretty! We have got to start growing some herbs and vegetables up here!

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Energy Star Home

2010-05-12T06:47:00.001-07:00

Cool. I didn't know we get an official certificate for being an Energy Star home! Just got it in the mail yesterday.

I really need to get the paperwork together for the Chicago green homes rating and LEED certification.

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Logan Square Green Buildings Series

2010-05-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

Here's Mark Raulston setting up the computers.

I made a short presentation about our home at the Logan Square "green ideas" meeting today at the Busy Beaver Button Company. Good times.

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Ciao Napoli

2010-05-09T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hurray, we loved Ciao Napoli--our new neighborhood Italian eatery. More importantly, Josh did! Yum.

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Why doesn't my lawn look like Wrigley Field?

2010-05-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Josh's first Cubs game over the weekend.

How come I can't get my lawn to look this green?!

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Beautiful Weather for Solar Panels

2010-05-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

Let the sun shine in!

Energy Star Rating

2010-05-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

Our Energy Star Home rater Jim Cavallo (of Kouba-Cavallo Associates) did our Energy Star rating last week and our HERS Index score came in at 41. I couldn't be there for the testing, but Ravi Ricker (architect, Wrap Architecture) took some pictures of the testing.

Here is Jim doing the "blower door" test:

And here is Cian O'Mahony (contractor, Letrim & Mani), Jim, and Cheryl Noel (architect, WRAP Architecture) gathering round the kitchen island looking at the results:

So how did we do? In a word, fantastic!!

A score of 41 is pretty darn remarkable. In Energy Star speak, the lower the score the better. So a score of 100 is a typical new construction home built to code. A score of 85 would have qualified us as an Energy Star home. A score of 0 is what you might call an off the grid "net-zero" energy home. We ended up getting a score that's 4x better than what we needed to qualify as an Energy Star home!

And to put this into another perspective, Chicago's most famous green home --the Smart Home at the Museum of Science and Industry--had a score of 51.

And you call yourself the "greenest home in Chicago"! Ha.

Evansville, IN

2010-04-28T04:49:00.001-07:00

I'm in Evansville, IN for a few days for work and I noticed our son's favorite obsession--Chuck E Cheese--near my hotel. But like everything else around here, it's supersized!!

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Finishing Touches

2010-04-22T10:47:00.001-07:00

We finally got all our railings and metal work painted using a low VOC exterior paint from Sherwin Williams. Looks great!

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Green Roof Update

2010-04-15T09:44:00.001-07:00

We installed this green roof from GreenGrid last year. I'm impressed that it's come back nice and healthy. It requires literally zero maintenance. I don't even water it.

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Sleepless in Chicago

2010-04-13T13:36:00.001-07:00

By the way, the ok-to-wake clock we got for Josh doesn't work. He still wakes up at 5 am!! He gets up, gets out of bed, and storms upstairs to wake us up. We're both NOT morning people. If he didn't look so much like me, I'd be asking, "Whose child is this??"

Outdoor Space

2010-04-13T12:17:00.001-07:00

Putting up the new ground level Trex deck last weekend.

Finished (but not quite decorated) space below. Trex looks good by the way. The above-the-garage deck saw a year of wear and tear but it looks just as good as the new one on the ground level.

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Drinking Local... Again

2010-04-12T17:12:00.001-07:00

Piece. Quite possibly the best thin crust pizza in Chicago!!

But I still like the craft brews at Revolution Brewing much better.

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Which Neighborhood Am I?

2010-04-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

Oh, Jeez. I took the stupid quiz from Apartment Finders on "Which Chicago Neighbood Are You?" and I'm River North. So not true.

Fireplace glass (1 of 2)

2010-04-08T11:19:00.001-07:00

Preparing for LEED certification.

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Million Dollar Home

2010-04-07T10:59:00.000-07:00

In the end, we ended up spending approximately $1 million on our house. I'll be doing a more thorough analysis for my personal curiosity later, but it breaks down to roughly 6% soft costs (e.g., architects, permit fees, engineers, surveys, etc.), 18% land cost (cost of getting the land), and 76% construction costs. I always suspected that we spent about this much, but I only confirmed it today when I did a cost analysis for my accountant. Much of this cost was covered by bank loans secured with our house (aka, a mortgage) but we also had about $200,000 in out of pocket costs in the last 3 years. This end figure is a lot higher than I'd originally wanted to spend, but I'm not surprised--it sure looks like a $1 million dollar home.

Constant Duty Fan Controls

2010-04-06T06:58:00.000-07:00

ICF homes are air tight so we need to circulate air with the outside world. These are some fancy switches for our bathroom exhaust fans, which will be running pretty much constantly at very low speeds.

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Man Cave

2010-04-05T21:44:00.001-07:00

My "man cave," aka Revolution Brewing.

Double IPA and bacon fat popcorn after a long day.

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SIP House

2010-04-05T18:56:00.001-07:00

On the day before Easter, we visited our friends Watson and Anne's house in Wheaton, Illinois. Their home is made of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs), which are remarkably cool stuff. I remember considering them for our home as well, but it's escaping me now why I decided against them and went with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) instead. Anyway, they have this great kitchen with a huge island where all the kids had fun eating their Easter treats.

Then a quick stop for a crazy picture.

And to the coolest room ever--an attached indoor above-the-garage gymnasium where the Easter egg hunt took place.

They live in the suburbs with a much bigger lot so they have a little more flexibilty in what they can do with their floor plan. We gave that up for a more compact urban living and I don't regret it, but I can't say that it didn't make me wonder... that gym is SO cool. I wish I took more pictures.

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We need more sleep

2010-04-05T15:21:00.000-07:00

On a tip from a neighbor, we got this alarm clock for Josh so we can get more sleep!! Hope it works.

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Second Floor Layout

2010-04-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

This is our second floor layout and the current configuration of our rooms. The "blue" room is Josh's bedroom and the "pink" room is our future daughter's nursery. And the "office"--as the name implies--is our office.

We're lawyers, so as laid back as we are, we can't help but to have some extreme type A tendencies. The child isn't due until the end of July but we've already painted the room pink using the color scheme we liked from a Land of Nod catalog (yes, very yupster of us). And we've already put together her crib and set up the room the way we want it. It's a girl. She's going to be spoiled. And I don't care that her room looks like pepto-bismol threw up in there. It's going to be a great room.

But our daughter-to-be, one of these days, is going to realize that her room is substantially smaller than Josh's room. I suspect that this realization won't happen until she's about 4 or 5 but when that day comes, there's going to be terrible whining and nagging... and this will become the new layout of our second floor rooms:

PhotoChop

2010-04-05T12:52:00.001-07:00

Hillarious app on my iPhone. You can "PhotoChop" a picture into preexisting or custom backgrounds. Here, I'm having some fun with our son's picture but it could be a pretty cool interior decorating tool for those of us who can't picture how something will fit in a room.

Josh in Paris:

Josh about to be mauled:

A lion about to get its butt whooped by Josh:

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All Dug Up

2010-04-01T15:37:00.001-07:00

Preparing our back yard for a ground level deck.

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Thermal Mass

2010-04-01T07:27:00.001-07:00

I took this photo one mild winter day. I set the temp at 64 before I left the home but was surprised to see that the house had actually gotten warmer when I came home. How could this be? The temperature outside was something like 50 degrees. I think perhaps thermal mass effect and passive solar heat gain? We're getting a blower test done soon, but I already have a feeling the house is pretty air tight.

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HVAC System and Update on Radiant Heat Part II

2010-03-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of our tankless water heater warming our basement floor. Warm floors--it's a beautiful thing!!

I've been meaning to do an update on our HVAC system, and coincidentally, I got a call from our HVAC contractor today. He wasn't upset but I guess someone actually read this blog (really?) and had second thoughts about using this particular company that I had used for our home.

Our HVAC guy wanted a chance to explain his side of the story, and he did. In the end, I think it's reasonable that I don't specifically single them out by name on this blog (so I've removed any specific references to their name). And in fairness, now that everything is finished, I think they did a fine job--everything seems to be working the way they're supposed to be working.

These days, I rarely think about our heating and air conditioning system. This is a great thing, because it means everything is working seamlessly.

Today, I have everything off and the windows open--what a beautiful day here in Chicago! We need more days like this.

Greengrid Green Roof

2010-03-29T07:11:00.001-07:00

Hey, look at that. After a long winter, our green roof is making a come back.

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Food Related Places Missing from Logan Square

2010-03-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

My list of top food-related places missing from my neighborhood so-I-won't-ever-have-to-leave-the-neighborhood:

1. Middle Eastern restaurant like Reza's (but Masada is opening up a block away)

2. Indian restaurant (this would make bank)

3. One-stop grocery store like Jewel, Dominick's, or Trader Joe's

4. A Korean restaurant (one can only dream but I doubt this will ever happen)

5. A wine bar with lots of wine flights like the Tasing Room

6. Joy's thai noodle and rice (Anong is ok, but I miss Joy's)

7. Scooter's custard (Miko's Italian ice is almost as good but different)

8. More brunch places (Lula is great but always packed for brunch)

Recycling

2010-03-22T23:42:00.001-07:00

This is the type of immediate gratification recycling I like to do. Growlers are making a come back thanks to craft brewing revolution and a green conscious public.

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Time Out

2010-03-19T15:15:00.001-07:00

...and that's how we discipline Josh when he misbehaves. I'm kidding--please don't call the cops.

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Big Boy Bed

2010-03-15T18:07:00.000-07:00

Our son, 2 1/2, graduated to a big boy bed yesterday. Bedding from Land of Nod is a splurge but it's a pretty big occasion! No more crib... at least until the next one.

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It's going to be a girl

2010-03-14T00:45:00.001-08:00

We recently found out that we will be having a girl. Now that we have this house, we have to fill it! What to name her?

Sun in the City

2010-03-10T13:16:00.001-08:00

Bye, bye fog. Hello, sunshine! As the saying goes, if you don't like the weather in Chicago, just wait a minute....

Some More "Finished" Photos of Our Home

2010-03-10T10:36:00.000-08:00

I previously posted some pictures of our exterior and first floor that our architects sent us here. Here are some of our upstairs rooms: master bedroom, Josh's room, garage deck, Josh's bathroom, and our master bath.

Fog in the City

2010-03-10T06:16:00.001-08:00

We made it through another winter in Chicago!! It's nowhere near warm yet but at least it's not I-want-to-tear-my-hair-out cold. But what's with all the fog? On a clear day, this view from my office is Lake Michigan. It's like the lake disappeared.

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Home Brewing Follow Up

2010-03-09T20:09:00.001-08:00

I'm shocked that I made this. And it actually tastes and looks like the real thing.

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Who's the Boss?

2010-03-09T20:00:00.001-08:00

I came home the other day to find out who really is the king of this house.

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Wow, Best Fish Tacos Ever

2010-03-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

Gardenias in Cabo San Lucas. Best fish and shrimp tacos ever! Anyway, the world is becoming a smaller place. When we were in Cabo, we heard news that a chef from Cabo is leaving to become the new chef at Rustico Grill in Logan Square. Small world indeed.

Hola from Cabo

2010-03-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

Mexico is an interesting country, one that seems to be dichotomized by resort towns and residential cities. Resort towns are land of excesses--2 for 1 happy hours and everything within your reach. I'm a little conflicted about being here in Cabo. I felt good about vacationing in Costa Rica with eco-friendly tourism in full force--our hotels had solar energy and natural ventilation. Cabo--it's luxury by any standards, almost to the point of being excessive. But a little excess is probably ok when you're traveling with a pregnant wife and a little toddler.

Drink local part deux

2010-02-24T14:45:00.001-08:00

Anchor steam. SFO. Why come all the way here for a Corona?

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SFO

2010-02-24T12:09:00.001-08:00

Solar panels everywhere at San Francisco airport. Only wish we had better weather.

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Green living of different sorts

2010-02-24T11:18:00.001-08:00

In the Bay area for work and noticed this at the train station. BTW, love taking trains in different cities. Really get a feel for the City that way.

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2010-02-22T23:09:00.001-08:00

Beer bottle chandelier by Wrap Architecture at Revolution Brewing. Now that's recycling.

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Commuting in Chicago

2010-02-17T08:05:00.001-08:00

Every year, I'm amazed to see Chicago listed as one of the worst cities for commuting in the U.S. It's right up there with LA. I really think we need to improve our public transportation system to ease the congestion and to encourage less dependence on cars. Thanks to being a block away from the Blue Line, there are weeks when I don't even touch my car. I wish I had the will power to bike to work but I'm too lazy to start that now.

Recycling

2010-02-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

Recycling at the office.

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Local Wines?

2010-02-15T09:45:00.001-08:00

I'd drink local wines too if anybody around Chicago could churn out amazing Zinfandels like Larry Turley.

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Ski Local

2010-02-15T09:38:00.001-08:00

Skiing in Geneva, Wisconsin. Not exactly Colorado or Vermont but fun nonetheless.

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In Wisconsin for the Weekend

2010-02-13T13:45:00.001-08:00

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. "Drink Local." Enjoying a nice Spotted Cow right now.

"Logan Square Is The Shit Right Now."

2010-02-07T22:48:00.000-08:00

Can one restaurant change a neighborhood? Probably not, but there is so much buzz about our newest addition to the neighborhood, Revolution Brewing, that one has to wonder.

There's no doubt that it instantly raises the profile of a neighborhood. Here's just a snapshot of the chatter over the weekend from the Internet. "Logan square is the shit right now." "Logan Square becoming a destination instead of an after thought?" "So many new bars! I'll soon be priced out of Logan Square." "Hip and a little upscale, which seems to be the way the area around here is going, whether you or anyone likes it or not." With $3 million+ invested into the brewery, it definitely signals to the community that this is the real deal.

And here's the most interesting part. I think the opening of a place like the Revolution helps other local businesses and home owners by attracting more people into the area. Case in point. Metromix published where to go "while you're waiting for a table at the Revolution" So instead of taking people away from places like Cole's, it actually helps bring more people into them. And as for home owners, the opening of a place like Revolution makes more people want to live in the area, which in turn increases demand for housing, which in turn stabilizes value.

Strange Deja Vu at the Wit

2010-02-07T14:46:00.000-08:00

What does the Wit, "modern," "urbane," and "hippest" hotel in Chicago and our home have in common? Why, the toilet, of course: the Toto Aquia Dual Flush toilet. Mary and I were celebrating our anniversary at the Wit and we found a familiar sight in the bathroom. I didn't know whether to be weirded out that I recognized the toilet or be happy that we didn't have to hire some high-priced interior designer to recognize good design. We have 5 of them in our house.

Update on Radiant Heat

2010-02-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

I previously wrote a pretty cathartic stream-of-the conscience post about how angry I was that radiant heat wasn't finished. Well, I'm frankly a little embarrassed by how vindictive I sounded (now that I've had time to reflect on things) and by how I've pretty much confirmed the general perception of lawyers everywhere (I'll sue them!!). But in honesty, building a home can bring out the best and worst in you. I've written effusively about how much I love, love, love this home but after being patient about certain things for so long, you feel like on principle, they should be done. I do feel better now that I've had that outburst.

Anyway, we've had a little intervention by our architects last Friday and our HVAC contractor has agreed to take care of the issue ASAP. They've even agreed to use the high-efficiency Noritz model that our architects recommended. Yes, that's more like it! Let's see some follow-through this time, though. Will we have our warm basement floors before the end of winter? Before summer? Ever? Hmm.

Why Is He Afraid Of The Curtains?

2010-02-07T08:04:00.000-08:00

Lately, our son Josh has been waking up in the morning--somewhat panicking, crying and pointing to the curtains. It's really a bizarre sight. He stands up straight in his crib, fingers pointed directly at the curtains, and half crying and half mumbling something about curtains.

When I go to get him, I usually ask him, "What is it?" And he says, "Daddy, curtains!" He seems genuinely afraid of them or something behind them. Or in them? I usually let him touch the curtains and open them to show him that there's nothing there. But it's been like this every morning for the last 2 weeks.

I've never seen anything so weird in my life... I can see how he could be afraid of the closet (after seeing the Pixar movie Monsters so many times) or under his crib but curtains?? Maybe this is just some passing thing. Or is our house haunted by some curtain ghost? E-mail me if you have any theories....

Eco-Friendly Living? By Brewing Beer?

2010-02-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

So I'm afraid I've been thinking. A dangerous pasttime... I know. What good is having an eco-friendly home if I waste others' resources and don't even try to live an eco-friendly life. We recycle and try to conserve water and electricity whenever we can, but is there more I can do?

Then it hit me with the soon-to-be opening of Revolution Brewing. [Update: Revolution Brewing will open its doors tomorrow, February 3, 2010!] Why not try to brew my own beer?? So I went out and bought the easiest kit possible with some premade brew varieties ready for making. The thinking here is that brewing my own beer will not only save money but it will also conserve the world's resources. My home brewing kit is reusable and I get about 20 bottles worth of beer from each batch. Hey, I'm not crazy--at least one person agrees with me.

This will take me about 2 months to get my first batch of beers, so if I end up hating it and throwing everything away, then this would have been a giant waste. But methinks this will end up ok. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

What's with some subcontractors not finishing their jobs?

2010-02-01T20:48:00.001-08:00

Seriously, what's up with some subcontractors just not finishing their jobs? It's ridiculous. We've for the most part had a good experience with our subcontractors, but our electrician walked off his job (a complete ass) and our HVAC contractor still hasn't hooked up our radiant heat... and winter's more than halfway over!!

Normally, I'd leave this sort of thing to the general contractor (and I have been), because it's his responsibility to go after his subcontractors, but I know that he's been trying. Perhaps not as aggressively as I'd like him to, but then again, I have some pretty unrealistic expectations on that front because what I do for a living. (Two bad ones out of dozens isn't so bad.)

Anyway, our HVAC subcontractor has really been pissing me off. All they need to do is to hook up a stupid $1,000-$2,000 direct vent water heater and make sure it complies with code. Then they're finished. They've already been paid more than $50,000 for the rest of their work so why won't they finish this one last bit? It's just so contrary to everything I know about what good businesses do. Finish your work and make sure the customers are satisfied. Don't ignore them.

If this doesn't get resolved soon, I might be forced to report them to the BBB, file a complaint with the Illinois AG, and file a lawsuit. A $329 filing fee for a lawsuit is a small price for me to pay. They'll be wishing they'd finished long before I even got a little annoyed.

[Note: For updates on what happened, see here (where I get embarassed about my rant) and here (where I'm happy that it's all been finished).]

Reversing the Ceiling Fans in Winter

2010-01-25T07:41:00.000-08:00

Oops. It's almost the middle of winter and we just remembered to reverse the ceiling fans today. In the summer, ceiling fans are supposed to spin counterclockwise, which creates a direct cool breeze from the fan (a so-called "wind chill" effect we're very familiar with in Chicago). In the winter, however, ceiling fans are supposed to spin clockwise, which creates a gentle updraft. This forces the cooler air up, displacing the warmer air near the ceiling to come down. Got it? I guess. I'll see if it really works. I knew I should have paid attention in those physics classes during undergrad.

Revolution Brewing Soft Opening

2010-01-24T19:37:00.000-08:00

We went to the Revolution Brewing soft opening tonight. The hugely anticipated restaurant/brew pub's grand opening is still 2 weeks away, but Josh Deth wanted to have a party for his friends, supporters, and investors. So we went. We got invited because we're one of Revolution Brewing's investors and something like 1.6% owners. Not too shabby, I suppose. I also manage Revolution Brewing's intellectual property but that's another story. Our architects, WRAP Architecture, also designed Revolution Brewing.

Anyway, the food, service, and, of course, beer were all amazing. First of all, this is not your typical pub fare. We're talking Chicago Magazine Best New Restaurant good. I'll let Josh reveal exactly what's on the menu, but it's full of pleasant surprises. Second, I was extremely pleased with how well-oiled the service was. I expected glitches but there was none. At one point during the night, I saw the managers gather all the wait staff in the back and toast a celebratory shot of beer. It was really fun to see that. Nobody wants to be served by a bunch of no-fun downers. Third, the beer, which will be at the heart of this whole thing, is outstanding. Move over Spotted Cow; Cross of Gold is now my favorite beer! As a side note, it's not surprising that I immediately fell in love with Cross of Gold (a blonde ale), because it's closely related to my former favorite beer, Spotted Cow (a cream ale). This group of ales exhibit that clean, refreshing, not-so-bitter and smooth mouth-feel I like in a beer. As another side note, it's over a pint of Allagash White (a wheat beer, which also is closely related to cream ales and blonde ales) that Josh and I sealed the deal on investing in Revolution Brewing. Anyway, the place is awesome and it's even family friendly. Our son, also Josh (above), had a great time.

So back to the soft opening. I was particularly happy, because there was a good reason to celebrate. Revolution Brewing and our home were on parallel tracks for a while and both projects almost never made it. Josh couldn't get any bank to finance the Revolution and I couldn't get the City to give us a permit. In late 2007, Josh and I both thought that our respective projects were all but dead. I still vividly recall telling our contractor to start looking for another project, because we were throwing in the towel. Josh around the same time sent his investors a dejected e-mail saying nobody would finance the project and the possibility seemed less likely each day. It was a very depressing time.

But things have a way of working out if you're lucky and if you want it badly enough. In February 2008, Josh finally did find one bank which was willing to take a chance and we literally stumbled on another lot, at the right price, with identical dimensions, right across the street from our doomed site. Now, almost 2 years later, here we are. Josh is about to have a grand opening and I'm now settled comfortably in our home.

Cheers, indeed!

Haiti, Building Integrity, and Cost

2010-01-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

We're very thankful to be safe and warm in our home this winter. As we continue to hear about the devastation in Haiti, we were struck by reports that shoddy construction and materials contributed to the level of destruction that occurred. As we gradually shift our focus from the immediate rescue efforts to long-term sustainability, many are asking, "what might a future, earthquake-resistant Port-au-Prince look like?"

This isn't an easy question to answer, of course. Some are blaming "cheap concrete" buildings and lack of engineering. Some would like to see more timber framed and supported homes, while others argue for more straw bale homes. These are all probably good ideas, but changing builder habits of what they know how to build will be tough. I ran into that when I decided to build a home with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) here in Chicago. I couldn't even get bids from some contractors who didn't want to stray from their stick-frame or masonry construction.

Speaking of ICF's, I was thinking of ICF's and Haiti. Wouldn't ICF work well for a place like Haiti? ICF's are energy efficient, pre-engineered, mostly prefabricated, and can withstand natural disasters substantially better than conventional buildings. I previously wrote that ICFs can withstand hurricanes but it also apparently does well during earthquakes.

It will be interesting what happens with future building construction in Haiti. Cost, not necessarily quality, ultimately may determine how the future of Haiti's reconstruction shakes out.

Chicago Winters & Warm Getaways

2010-01-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is a blog about our home, but I'd just like to vent that Chicago winters suck. No other way to say it. It really bites. I don't care how nice our home is here. The grayness, the coldness, and the darkness all add up to a very long and stir-crazy winter. So each winter, we tend to long for that "blue sky holiday"--last year was Grand Cayman, the year before was Costa Rica.. before that, Florida, Hawaii, USVI, Cancun... yes, we take traveling very seriously.

This year, we'd actually decided not to go anywhere. We spent so much money on the house and it just didn't seem financially responsible to blow thousands of dollars on a week vacation. Then the winter came. By December, I was ready to give in. By the start of new year, I was actively looking for a vacation spot. By last week, we'd narrowed it down to St. John and Cabo.

We ultimately decided on Cabo for 3 reasons--(1) we've never been there (been to St. John), (2) can fly directly there from Chicago (this is key with a 2 year old in the height of his terrible 2's) and (3) more bang for the buck than St. John. Take a look at the resort where we'll be staying (Villa La Estancia) and tell me you don't already feel better. Our unit is a 2 bed, 3 bath, 2000 sqft+ luxury rental that we got for about $200/night on VRBO. By comparison, a respectable place in St. John would have cost us almost $500 a night. This is a big difference if you're staying at least a few nights.

Anyway, can you really put a price on mental health? Probably but at $200 a night, I'll take it.

Glass for Fireplaces

2010-01-15T20:52:00.000-08:00

To me, a fireplace is an essential part of a home. It represents warmth, togetherness, and all that's good in the world when the world outside is below freezing. So we have 3 of them in our home: this modern vented gas one in our entry room, a more traditional wood-burning one in our living room, and a glass enclosed semi-modern direct-vent fireplace in our master bedroom.

As we get ready for LEED certification, one of the things I have to do is to enclose both the downstairs fireplaces with glass. LEED doesn't like unenclosed fireplaces. It represents too much of an air leak and an indoor air pollutant. Understood. But there's nothing quite like an open flame... it's so cozy. Ok, nobody said LEED certification won't require any sacrifices.

UPDATE (2-7-10): I think I've found something that will work. Zero Clearance "Rainbow" screen from Hearthcraft.

Paperstone Update

2010-01-08T09:31:00.001-08:00

Our front facade--comprised of Paperstone Rainscreen--is holding up well and still looking good after the brutal snow storm we had this week. It's made of 100% recycled paper, so I'm curious to see how it will hold up through this winter. So far so good.

Unfinished Business

2009-12-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

Winter's here and our house is all decorated for our first Christmas in our new neighborhood! And our house is .. just .. about .. finished.

I feel like I've been saying that for months now but it's true. So close! It's frustrating to be sure. On most days, I don't notice it but I sure did this weekend. I mean every new home owner has these complaints--a few trim pieces missing here, a few screws missing there, blah blah. But it was cold this weekend and we sure did miss our radiant floor heating in our basement.

Our home is heated by an extremely efficient geothermal power and our ICF construction keeps our home nice and warm. But we have an open basement so it still can't defy laws of physics--warm air tends to rise, resulting in a temperature differential between our first floor and basement.

So we're still waiting. Trying to be patient. In the meanwhile, we'll just snuggle up with our blankets when we're spending time in our basement family room. Oh, I suppose there could be worse things to worry about as we face the cold Chicago winter.